Are these 4 chinese songs still considered famous?

[learningculture]

Hello
 

I am trying to learn the Chinese language and I am trying to learn how to play a guitar.  While walking around Chinatown in Toronto, some melodies caught my attention, so I decided to learn them on my guitar.  Later on, I performed the melodies to some people who came from China.  Anyone who was 50 years old or older immediately knew the songs I played.  Most people under the age of 50 either never heard it before, or said it sounded familiar, but they don't know it.
 

I went to google and typed "Most Famous Chinese Songs".  I read through many people's "all time chinese song list" (they were all written in english) and none of the songs I learnt appeared on their list.
 

Because I don't know many chinese people, I want to ask this forum.  Are the songs are I learnt on my guitar considered famous / well known to young people in mainland China?  Are my songs only recognizable to people who are 50+ years old?  Or are my songs considered NOT popular/famous?
 

The songs I learnt on guitar are:
 

1. 上海灘 - Anyone 50 or older immediately recognized it.  But anyone younger might say, "it sounds familiar, but I don't know it".
 

2. 鐵血丹心 - Only people 50 or older knew it. Young people did not recognize it at all.
 

3. 一剪梅 - Most chinese people 50 or older knew this but not all.  Most young people never heard it before.

4. 男兒當自強 - Everyone, regardless of age, seemed to recognize this song.   Even some young children between age 8 and 12 seemed to know it.  But what I find perplexing is why this song doesn't appear on any "all time famous chinese song" lists?
 

Let me know if these songs are considered famous? I'm just wondering if I walked around and performed these songs in mainland china, what percentage of the population would know it?

[cncorrect]

I am 40 years old. I know all these songs well. They are well-known in mainland China. I believe that 60% of the population should be familiar with them.

 

"Shanghai Beach (《上海滩》)" is a song sung by Sally Yeh, with lyrics written by James Wong and music composed by Joseph Koo. This song was the theme song for the TV series "Shanghai Beach" starring Chow Yun-fat and Angela Pang in 1980. With its melodious tune and strong dynamics, coupled with Sally Yeh's powerful and unrestrained vocals, the song vividly captures the struggles and tenderness of Shanghai's underworld. James Wong metaphorically uses sea waves and tides in the lyrics to add depth to the song.

 

"Loyalty of Blood (《铁血丹心》)" is the theme song for the 1983 TVB version of the drama "The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Loyalty of Blood (《射雕英雄传之铁血丹心》)". The lyrics were written by Tang Wai-hung, the music was composed by Joseph Koo, and it was sung as a duet by Jenny Tseng and Roman Tam. This song is characterized by its continuous and urgent rising strings in the introduction and overwhelming harmonies, creating an atmosphere of patriotism, love, and masculine vigor. The lyrics express heroic courage and loyalty, making it deeply loved by audiences. 

 

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes: A Hero Born" is adapted from "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" written by Jin Yong. There are many fans of the author 金庸 in this forum. Please take a look at the video and let me know if you think the drama music matches the story: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1mY4y1k7mD/?spm_id_from=333.788&vd_source=992dfc7dc01ab14e4fa393680cdf1811

 

"A Twig of Plum Blossom (《一剪梅》)" is a song sung by Fei Yu-ching, with lyrics written by Wah Wah and music composed by Chen Hsin-yi. This song was first included in Fei Yu-ching's album released in 1983 and gained popularity as the opening theme for the Taiwan CTV drama of the same name "A Twig of Plum Blossom" in 1984. The song's melodious tune, coupled with Fei Yu-ching's clear voice and emotional singing, has made this song a classic. In recent years, "A Twig of Plum Blossom" has gained popularity in Europe and the United States due to the lyrics "Snowflakes fluttering, northerly winds whistling".

 

"A Man Shall Strive to Strengthen Himself (《男儿当自强》)" is a song with lyrics written by James Wong, adapted from the ancient tune "General's Order". It is also the theme song for the movie series "Once Upon a Time in China". This song was sung by Lam Tze Cheung and comes in both Cantonese and Mandarin versions. The song's uplifting melody and lyrics full of unyielding self-improvement and courageous spirit have made it not only a classic soundtrack for the movie but also widely used in various inspirational occasions.

 

[learningculture]

Wow, you wrote with perfect grammar and you articulate the most important ideas with precision.   I suspect you are not human, or that you are a ChatBot?  I apologize if I guessed incorrectly, and that you are indeed human.

Even though my family is Chinese, I grew up around westerners, so that's why I don't know much about Chinese culture.  Each of the songs we are discussing are very "catchy" that's why I learned to play them on guitar.  It made me a little sad when some young people from China told me they didn't know it, and it made me feel like I permanently lost something from my heritage or culture.

But now I'm glad that maybe I just need to talk to and meet more people from China.

Also, I think i I will watch 射雕英雄传 . I just need to find it with english subtitles

[cncorrect]

I am human. I wrote the answer with my own personal knowledge and thinking. But my English skills are not good enough. I feel it challenging to write long paragraphs in English. And searching for the basic background information about the songs is time consuming. So, I decided to use the AI generated song introduction. But I had checked the content and thought it might be helpful for you.

 

The songs were made in the 1980s or the 1990s. It's not strange that the younger generation doesn't know them.

 

I often need AI to revise my English writing and make it sound more natural. But I wrote this post without it. Do you find it difficult to understand me?
 

[learningculture]

Your writing is great!  I have no difficulty understanding!

 

I have another question.  In North America, there use to be some very famous musicians like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Madonna.  If I show famous songs from these musicians to young people in North America , they might either say:

 

- I never heard the song before but I know Elvis, Beatles, Michael Jackson, Madonna are famous

 

- the song sounds familiar but I don't know it.  Maybe I heard it in a television commercial or in a movie?

 

Would the four songs I mentioned be similar in popularity to things by Elvis, Beatles, etc...?

[cncorrect]

Thanks for your feedback. 

 

Yes, they are famous and part of our culture. The four songs you mentioned are all TV drama or film theme songs. When the shows were airing, almost everyone were watching them （There's a Chinese idiom to describe this: 万人空巷）. I even have vague memories of watching 《射雕英雄传》as a baby. The four theme songs also achieved phenomenal success.

[honglam]

上海滩 is my childhood song as a current PhD candidate less than 25 years old. It's possible that someone at my age doesn't know the name but the melody should be quite familiar. After all the drama 上海滩 was still a hit on TV in the beginning years of this century.

一剪梅 show up a lot as a meme used at some plot of dramatic defeat. Regardless of the meme it is still commonly heard, since the singer 费玉清 had still been on stages till some time recently when he announced his retirement.

I'm not quite sure about 铁血丹心 and 男儿当自强. At least for my generation I'd say the melody should be quite familiar to the majority and many may say they have heard this some time. 铁血丹心 is always in my favorite list so my opinion doesn't make sense. As for 男儿当自强, well, it's not until answering this question had I found that this song is so-named.

As for teenagers, I couldn't promise it would still be so then.